


Coffee And Consolation

by RedlaSunShowers029



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Coffee, Coffee Shops, Drinkplay, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Immunity, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Macro/Micro, Mentioned parent abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pred!Jeremy, Prey!Rich, Sizeshifting, clean vore, healing vore, safe vore, willing vore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 02:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20716652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedlaSunShowers029/pseuds/RedlaSunShowers029
Summary: When the lingering nightmares about the Squip haunt Jeremy's mind, he finds that the only solution is to find a way to stay up. A nearby coffee shop offers his only solace - and, surprisingly, as does the company he finds there.(My half of a writing trade in my discord chat!)





	Coffee And Consolation

Trauma is an uncontrollable beast: it haunts the living, and torments the anxious at the worst of times. At times it can seem inescapable and insurmountable to the point that all else seems bleak, and lurks permanently in the corners of one’s mind. But regardless of how severe the case is, one thing is for certain: it is not something which can be fixed or remedied. Only made the best of, and then continuing onwards with the pieces that are left.

“Jeremy.”

That soft, silky purr was unmistakable.

_Shut up._

“You can't get rid of me that easily.”

_Leave me alone._

“I'm inside your brain. I can hear everything, see everything you're thinking. How do you even function like this? I could've helped you, but no - you had to go ahead and -”

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

Jeremy jolted awake, breathing heavily. The voice was gone, but that didn't mean that he felt safe just yet. Tangled covers and a mess of pillows and blankets made themselves known to him, snaring his legs and littering his bed. So it was just a nightmare - but it was one which happened far too frequently nevertheless.

“Just go back to sleep,” he mumbled to himself, laying back down with a hand beneath his head. He closed his eyes, grumbling uneasily: it seemed even that was enough to get his heart rate spiking in more ways than one. With the adrenaline seeping into his body, there was no way in hell he could go to sleep like that -

Tossing aside his covers with a reluctant sigh, he made his way over to the side of his bed. If he was going to stay up, he'd have to at least figure out a way to make himself comfortable for that duration.

Coffee. That was probably as good a way to wake up as anything. There was no way he wanted to stay here in that case - while his father was trying to be there for him again, he didn't want to have to explain the whole ordeal. Besides, the things that happened to him - that'd happened to the entire cast of the play - were something out of the purest and most wild science fiction. Hell, he wouldn't believe it if it hadn't happened to him.

Jeremy absently shuffled over to his dresser, taking out the closest shirt and pants he could find and changing into them briskly. There was a coffee shop not too far away from his place, and if he was careful, he could certainly make it without interruption. It'd just take walking downstairs and grabbing his pair of keys… Yeah. He could do this, he just had to stay focused.

With a yawn, he slid on his sneakers and opened the door, stepping out into the crisp air of the night.

Sometimes, it was nice to be out this late. If by choice opposed to insomnia, it was comforting to be the only person in the midst of it all. That wasn't to say that having company was bad - not at all - but ever since the Squip had taken over, there was literally no way for him to be alone with his thoughts. The sickening static seemed to be indication enough of that, and he couldn't suppress the groan which rose up in his throat. Lowering his head, he walked down the streets much as he had the Middleborough hallways - avoiding eye contact or interaction with whoever else was up this late.

Thankfully, there seemed to be very few people around, and they didn't look his way from what he could tell. Whether that was a blessing or a curse, though, was yet to be seen.

At the very least, it permitted him to get to the coffee shop in due time, panting as he slid the door closed behind him.

He'd get through this, if he let himself. It'd just take a bit of time to sort out his thoughts, that was all. Yeah, it'd be just-

“Yo, tall-ass!”

Oh, great. Even though the pair of them were on decent terms in the aftermath, some almost primal part of him always seemed to tense up whenever he heard his former bully’s voice. Looking over, however, it seemed that that spark of malice had disappeared long ago. Sure, the nickname was still annoying, but that was the most of it. All reservations aside, Rich seemed downright eager to see him, patting the seat across from him.

“Hey, Rich,” Jeremy muttered sleepily, forcing what became an exhausted smile onto his face.

“Rough night?”

“Nah, just can't sleep,” Jeremy grumbled, plunking down on the other side of the booth.

“Don't lie to me. I can see the fear in your eyes.”

“I… Wha-?”

“Just messing with you,” Rich chuckled, taking a swig of his coffee. “But no, really - you seem jarred about something. And besides, I think I know enough to say you wouldn't come down here in the middle of the night if it was nothing.”

“What does it matter to you?” The words came out a bit acidic, avoiding eye contact.

“Oh, come on, I don't mean it like that.” Rich placed an arm out to stop Jeremy from scooting away, shaking his head. “You know I don't.”

“Do I?” Jeremy pried his fingers away. “Look, I get it. You're working on things, but that doesn't-”

“It's about the Squip, isn't it?”

Jeremy froze. He didn't maintain eye contact, but he didn't try to avoid it, either. “... Okay, fine, ya got me. Happy?”

“Makes sense,” Rich murmured quietly. “Believe me, I know how that feels.”

“I know,” Jeremy sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I-”

“It's fine. This one’s on me, then.” Rich reached into his pockets, pulling out a couple coins. “I'll be right back. Want anything in particular?”

“Whatever will keep me awake, I guess,” Jeremy chuckled half-heartedly. “Thanks.”

“You got it,” Rich replied with a nod, sliding over to the counter - leaving Jeremy alone with his thoughts. They were swirling around rather vividly right now, and even in the moment he couldn't seem to shake them away. Why was it that the thoughts couldn't leave him? Why on earth did the Squip persist to latch on like the parasite he was and keep haunting him in some dreadful record repeat? It was enough to make Jeremy's blood curdle, and he didn't like anything about it one bit. But he didn't get the chance to think about it too long, for the moment that he began to go down that wormhole of horrific memory, Rich returned with a small cappuccino in his hands.

“Figured this would probably do the trick,” Rich beamed, sliding it over to him.

“I'm sure it will. Thanks again.”

“It's no problem,” Rich shrugged, sitting down across from him once more. “Figured I owe you one, since-”

“That wasn't your fault,” Jeremy murmured, rolling his eyes in disbelief. “I didn't have to take your advice, but I did. It wasn't like you knew what the Squip would do to me - do to us - if just… Fucking happened. None of us saw that coming.” Jeremy took a sip, wincing a little bit from the heat. He'd have to let it cool down a little bit before trying to take any more. “And I mean, to be fair, it did help in some regards.”

“Did it?”

“Yeah,” Jeremy replied. “I mean, I did wind up being able to get Christine's attention-”

“How's that working out for you?”

“Fine, actually. It's been a little rough in places, but I've learned from my mistakes. If something comes up, we talk about it. It's better not to keep secrets or let things fester. And I know I made some mistakes, but I think things are looking up now.” A small, giddy grin spread across his face. “God, I love her so much.”

“And Michael?”

Jeremy turned more somber. “... We're getting there. It's not going to be the same for a while, but I can honestly expect that.” Jeremy gripped the table, trying to avoid the tears coming to his eyes. “I… Really hurt him, and I know it's going to take some time to get his trust back. I just hope I can get it back…”

Jeremy blinked as Rich placed his arm down on his, although gave a soft smile in spite of himself.

“It's okay. I'm sure you'll be able to make it work out. If Jake could forgive me, then I'm positive Michael can forgive you.”

“You're getting a lot better at this whole comfort thing,” Jeremy noted, his voice soft and almost teasing. “I like it.”

“Guess it just takes a reboot from the evil supercomputer in your brain,” Rich laughed. “I'm so glad I'm free of the hivemind - what an endless nightmare.”

“You could sure say that again.” Jeremy blew on his coffee, before taking another cautious sip. “If I have to deal with that again, I think I'd go feral.” He waited a moment, before glancing over in Rich’s direction.

“You know, I don't think you mentioned why you were here so late.”

“Does it matter?” Jeremy was a bit taken aback by the harshness in the shorter teen’s words, before he seemed to shuffle back somewhat awkwardly. “It's nothing, it's just… Dad’s drunk again, throwing things around and yelling enough to wake the neighborhood. When he gets like that, it just doesn't feel safe to be there, so I snuck out in case he got violent.” Rich shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about it. “It's no big deal, I meant it happens all the ti-”

“You know that's not normal, right?”

Rich merely blinked, as though not understanding the question. “It's pretty normal around my place. Nothing seems to stop him until he conks out.”

“Yeah, that's the problem. You don't see anything wrong with that? Nothing at all? Rich-” Jeremy placed his hand out, before removing it somewhat abruptly.

“You're not planning on going back tonight, are you?”

Rich sighed, rubbing his shoulder. While it was mostly covered by his sleeve, with the way it tugged back, Jeremy could see what looked like a fresh bruise upon it.

“Probably not. Thankfully, it's the weekend, so at least I don't have to -”

“Do you want to come back with me?”

Rich blinked, stunned. “You're not serious, are you?”

Jeremy regarded him for a moment as though questioning the exact same thing, taking another sip of coffee. He could feel it beginning to warm him up from the inside out, but the reality of the situation had his heart frozen solid. What was it that turned him so suddenly to Rich’s side? Despite the progress they made together, this was still the person who'd pushed him around for half the semester with no end in sight; therefore it wasn't altruism, but empathy. They both knew abuse more intimately than either would like; for Jeremy, it ended after the Squip's deactivation. But for Rich? It was like trading two dangers out for the same one he'd started out with, and something about that made Jeremy feel utterly sick.

“Yeah, I'm serious,” Jeremy confirmed, taking another gulp. Now that he was beginning to calm down, the iciness was melting - but perhaps there was still more that he could do to assist them both. “Shit’s happened, sure, but you don't deserve that even still. Have you told anyone about it?”

“Just Jakey D, but there isn't much he can do about it. His parents are always away, so he doesn't really get it all the same. And I doubt you do, either - your old man never really pushed you around.”

“It was a different kind of neglect,” Jeremy mumbled, as though he didn't really want to get into things too much. “Different, but it still hurt. But things have gotten better over at my place - and even if they hadn't, I can guarantee my dad wouldn't attack you for the world. Hell, he's probably still asleep. He doesn't know where or why I'm here.”

“Does he know about everything?”

“You kidding me? He'd think I was nuts. It's already bad enough everyone thought the play was a whole drug trip - I doubt it'd be any different. And why would it be? If I hadn't known better, I'd think quite the same. I get it, it's just… Ugh. But really, man - you should come spend the night. Unless you're planning on going to Jake’s, I doubt you have anywhere else to crash.”

“You mean it?”

“I wouldn't offer if I didn't.” Jeremy polished off his coffee, licking the remains from his lips. “So, what do you say? I'm sure it's much better staying here all night.”

“Well, if you're offering…” Rich did his best to give a grin, although even from a subtle glance Jeremy could tell that it was pretty forced. “Yeah, I think I'll take you up on that.”

A few more moments passed, and the pair sat in silence as Jeremy finished his coffee. Then, leaving a small tip on the table, the pair of them departed back to Jeremy's place.

Things had never seemed so serene despite the weight on their shoulders; it seemed that even with the pain in both their hearts, the night was full of nothing but the dark, the calm and quiet. Through the flickering street lamps and empty sidewalks they traversed, up until they finally came up to the door. Jeremy slid the key out of his pocket to unlock it, stepping inside to the calm of the night. He hadn't expected for things to be this easy, but here he was: just the pair of them, protected by the silence.

The only sound which greeted him was the pattering of tiny footsteps, and a small squeak of a meow.

“You have a cat?” Rich turned towards Jeremy, raising a brow. “Gee, I didn't know you were a cat person, tall-ass.”

“She's a new addition to the family,” Jeremy replied, scooping her up and draping her over his shoulder. “Hey, Rudy. It alright - I'm back now.” After a couple moments of stroking her, Jeremy allowed her to slide back down, trotting away. “Dad might not understand everything that happened, but he figured I could use the extra support after everything that happened.”

“Even I don't know everything that happened, and it was in my brain.”

“I feel you there, Jeremy managed, beginning to make his way up the stairs. “Room’s this way. You coming up?”

“Suppose so,” Rich shrugged, placing his hand on the railing. “Unless you've got any other ideas.”

“None come to mind,” Jeremy whispered nonchalantly, making the climb up. Thankfully, the flight was pretty small, so it didn't take them too long to make their way up to the landing, slipping inside. Rudy seemed to watch them from the landing, yawning before going about her nightly business without another care in the world.

To say the least, it was nice to be finally back. The coffee had definitely helped ease the insomnia, but Jeremy was beginning to feel a little jittery as he approached the dark room. He didn't like the way that the shadows always took form with that sickening blue light; blue shadows, blue forms on the wall. Thankfully, they didn't tend to have anything notably technological about them, no circuitry or telltale signs that either of them were back in the hivemind. But even still, as the two of them settled on the edge of the bed, things seemed uncomfortably quiet. Tense, to say the least.

“Hey, Jeremy?”

It was the first time that night that Rich had used his actual name. The first in a long time, really, that Jeremy could recall.

“Yeah? What's up?”

“There's something I don't think I got the chance to tell you. Or… Even wanted to tell you until now.” Rich felt his hands grasp the sheets, not daring to look Jeremy in the eye.

“Did I ever tell you why I wanted the Squip so badly?”

“Because you wanted it to improve your life, right? Same as me, but… Of course not the same same, just-” Jeremy sighed, annoyed by his tripping on words. “I get it.”

“No, you don't.”

Jeremy blinked at how straightforward Rich was being; yeah, he'd always been a little firecracker from the start. But now? This was a little startling.

“Okay, then tell me. If you want to, that is.”

“It's because of what I am,” Rich managed.

Jeremy squinted. “What - bi? That's nothing to be ashamed about. You know that, right?”

“Oh, that's not the problem now that I've got it all figured out. No, it's…” Rich shook a little, and Jeremy's expression became all the more uneasy. “There's a reason I'm so short. Shifters tend to be abnormal heights depending on what type they are, and well? I figure you can do the math.”

Jeremy blinked; he'd heard of the size and even shapeshifting phenomenon which occurred with various students; even Christine could take on those abilities at times, and he'd seen it happen. Granted, it was much harder to keep track of a four-inch-tall ball of energy than it was a normal person, but honestly, he wasn't opposed; if he could manage to keep Christine out of harm’s way on the relatively frequent occasions she shifted down, then he didn't think doing the same for Rich would be much of an issue. Assuming that was the route he was going for, anyways. Jeremy was willing to listen.

“Yeah. But it's okay - I've… I have no problem with that.”

“Really?” Rich’s expression indicated surprise, although seemed to have a cocky grin on his face all the same. “I didn't expect you'd take that so well.”

“I've seen some things, and believe me - that's not a problem in my book. Well, so long as you don't hurt yourself off the top of a bookshelf -”

“Let me guess, she's done that before.”

“How'd you know it was her?”

“Eh,” Rich shrugged, “we shifters have ways of keeping in touch. Besides, who else could it be?”

“Okay, fair enough,” Jeremy sighed, shaking his head.

“So you're pretty used to it, I'm taking it?”

“The shifting or the sudden jumping off of things?”

“The shifting.”

“So long as it doesn't include constant brushes with death? Yeah. It doesn't bug me.”

“Man, I didn't think I'd even get this far.” Rich hesitated, giving Jeremy a side glance. “Would you mind?”

Jeremy chuckled nervously. “You really trust me that much?”

Rich nodded, a little less confidently than usual.

“Well, alright…” Jeremy shifted a little on the bed, moving back to give Rich some space. He knew at this point how this worked, and what would make it easier - a bit of time, and it would all come together. Rich closed his eyes, slowing his breathing down - and all at once he seemed to be getting smaller, inch by inch. Jeremy knew better than to interrupt it, although was intrigued to see it happen: the warm orange glow, the calmness which seemed to come with it. To be able to control one’s body and shift form, even if merely height, was fascinating to him - but it was of course something he could only watch from afar. After all, he had no abilities of his own, but that didn't bother him too much - he was fine with being there for the others, fueled by his newfound sense of purpose.

A protector. Even now, the words seemed foreign on his tongue. But even still, he liked it, strangely enough; it gave him a place to unload the anxiety - feel needed and wanted despite it all. In the moment, there wasn't any time to focus on fear, but rather dive into things and see how they came out. And what's more, it gave him a place - something that nobody could take away from him. A sense of power that he didn't even know he had building up inside of him.

By the time he looked back over, Rich was around four inches tall (from what he understood, five was the standard), sheepishly making his way over to Jeremy. Without missing a moment, Jeremy placed his hand out before him; honestly, trying not to be intimidating was the most nerve-wracking part of it. And it was funny how things worked out, really: the school bully who tormented him for months was now the size of a mouse, clambering into his palm and settling down as Jeremy carefully lifted it.

“I must admit, you're better at this than I thought you'd be,” Rich teased, leaning against his fingers.

“I've gotten practice,” Jeremy replied in breathy laughter. “So, are you just going to spend the night like this? Do you want me to set something up on the nightstand, or-?”

“Actually, I've got another idea.” Rich seemed pretty confident about this; that alone made Jeremy reassured. “That is, if you're up for it.”

“Alright,” Jeremy shrugged, presuming a more typical response. “Hit me with what you got.”

“So I'm guessing you've heard of the immunity thing, right?”

Jeremy cocked his head, indicating otherwise.

“Nothing? Wow. Not even in chemistry?”

“What do you mea-” Jeremy did remember, actually, and that was what hit him like a ton of bricks. “... Oh. Oh no no no-” His words broke off into nervous laughter, regaining his autonomy as best he could. “Rich, I can't. Wouldn't that hurt you?” It felt weird to be in the position of caring with what all had happened, but with the situation which was being proposed, it seemed illogical not to.

“Are you not familiar with the basic concept of immunity, or are you just too chicken about it?”

“Not funny,” Jeremy grumbled.

Rich’s face fell. “Hey, I was just joking.”

“I know,” Jeremy sighed. “But why would you even want to?”

“It helps shifters heal,” Rich managed, rubbing his arm. “Both physically and emotionally. Look, I'm not going to push you if you're uncomfortable with it. Don't worry - I'm not like that anymore.” Rich watched as Jeremy's expression shifted, as though considering it. “But I think it might help you, too.”

Now Jeremy looked more than slightly interested. “How so?”

“You like feeling like you have some control, don't you? I've seen you interacting with other shifters. After all that happened with the Squip, you seem pretty focused on keeping everyone safe. And who knows - it might pay off in the future.”

“And this actually is safe? Not just some hunch you have?”

“I've done this before,” Rich responded with a shrug. “It's actually harder to hurt me in there then it is out here. I'll be completely invulnerable for as long as you need - and I'll stay put, so no need to worry about that much.” Rich waited a moment, pausing to check Jeremy's mental state before voicing the question:

“What do you say?”

Jeremy paused a moment, sighing. “Alright - I'll do it. But I'm getting you back up first thing in the morning, alright?”

Rich looked relieved, to say the least. He waited for Jeremy to raise his hand towards his mouth, giving a soft shudder.

“Here goes nothing,” Jeremy muttered, parting his jaws and closing his eyes. He waited until it seemed that Rich had made his way inside before slowly closing his mouth, sliding his tongue back for good measure. Already, this felt pretty weird - yeah, he'd seen this sort of thing go down plenty in cartoons. But to think it was a part of his waking life was something unheard of - unusual, fascinating, and well? A little nerve-wracking, to say the least. He didn't quite know what he was doing as the saliva began to pool up in his mouth, although hoped that Rich had some better sense of things than he did.

Fortunately, that was indeed the case. Rich shifted a little in the slimy cavern of a maw, but didn't say much; he'd been through this before with Jake, and he didn't mind it at all. It was already interesting as he noticed the shifts in the surroundings; the quivering pulse beneath him, the tense inhale and exhale of breath washing over him. But it was still that telltale sense of warmth and security which remained the same, no matter who it was with. And that seemed to be what made it all the more relaxing, like some otherworldly aura which shrouded him in relief. What was more, despite the newness of the situation, it seemed like Jeremy was taking to this more easily than he'd expected - and, if nothing else, that certainly eased his own state of mind immensely.

Weird as it was, Rich wasn't wrong to think that. Jeremy himself was impressed by how well things were going. The constant anxieties which plagued him on a daily basis seemed to be calming down: yeah, alright. This wasn't too bad, actually - something about it was strangely therapeutic. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it was helping him somehow, in a way he couldn't explain. Something about the calmness of the night, having control over something so delicate. Something about not worrying about the possession he'd dealt with for so long. And something about - well? - the way that Rich actually trusted him with this. It seemed like such a thing should be terrifying, yet he caught no waves of fear from the sizeshifter.

It was finally this which allowed him to tilt his head back, swallowing Rich with the excess saliva. Admittedly, it was a little challenging at first; as (surprisingly) comfortable as he was with the situation, he wasn't at all accustomed to such an act. It was only when Rich began to slip down that he realized perhaps a warning would've been better. Was Rich still doing alright? He didn't seem uncomfortable - but even still, Jeremy couldn't help but worry as he felt him slip down further and further.

Despite Jeremy's fears, Rich was indeed unharmed, relaxed and at ease the whole way down. The gentle tug of soft muscle, despite the slipperiness, was soothing in so many ways, already beginning to feel the tension in his muscles disappearing. While perhaps some would view the situation as frightening, such a feeling never even occurred to Rich. Really, it felt like a nice massage the whole way down. Time didn't seem to exist and he scarcely even noticed where he was until the sounds of heartbeat and breathing passed him by - and then the slight release, dropping him into the waiting stomach below. Wiping the fluid out of his eyes, Rich figured this was probably a good time to investigate.

Needless to say based on the gurgles and groans around him, Jeremy's stomach was intrigued by the new morsel which had been deposited within it. The walls shifted in lazy ululations, churning the waist-deep liquid around him and squeezing the shifter a bit in the process. He knew well enough what this meant, especially as he noticed just what the surrounding liquid consisted of: stomach fluids and coffee, primarily, which it seemed his system was still working on. It could've been frightening, but Rich had gone down before in even more active conditions - and besides, the more bubbling and churning present, the more it'd be able to work away the pain from prior injuries.

There were several reasons Rich liked this, but the main one was to get away from it all. No more Squip, no more home troubles to worry about - just a soft, warm room, a heartbeat, and fluids the temperature of bathwater. Despite his relaxed state, Rich quirked a brow as he heard the heartbeat grow faster…

Had something gone wrong? Was Rich still okay? Yes, Jeremy felt the little shifts in movement, but aside from a hunch he had no idea what was even going on. It seemed that ever since Rich had dropped into his stomach, things felt more prominent, the gurgles and sloshes to the point he could feel them. Maybe it was bad timing? Maybe -? Was it better to check?

“Um… Are you-?”

“Still okay? Yeah, I'm fine,” Rich replied nonchalantly, sinking down in the fluids. “Like I said, things are just fine down here.” Then, more teasingly: “Not a bad stomach you got there.”

“Um, thanks?” Jeremy was a little caught off guard by this, but relaxed a bit when he heard the laugh in response.

“Even now you're still awkward, I see. Guess some things never change.”

“H-Hey, listen -”

“I'm just messing with you, tall-ass,” Rich chuckled, leaning against the stomach wall. He took a moment to sink down to chest level in the fluids, placing a hand against the walls. They lurched a bit, although it didn't seem unnaturally. “How are you feeling out there, by the way?”

Jeremy twitched as he felt Rich shifting his position, stirring up the stomach fluids and coffee. He still kept a hand placed on his stomach, breathing deeply before he managed to respond. “Honestly? A little weird.”

“Good weird or bad weird?”

“I'm not even sure,” Jeremy responded, grimacing as a deep rumble rose up from within.

“Oh, that kind of weird,” Rich established. “I forgot that happens sometimes.”

“What… Happens, exactly?”

“It doesn't happen with everyone, but sometimes the immunity can upset people’s stomachs, especially if it's during digestion.”

Jeremy blinked, laughing nervously. “Wait, there shouldn't be -”

“Relax, it's just the coffee,” Rich replied, completely unfazed about it. “Seems like you're having a bit of trouble with it, though.” Well, that was certainly an understatement. The walls were getting a little rocky, sloshing fluids unevenly around him. “Is your stomach always like this?”

“Kinda? It's usually not this weird but… Yeah. It's okay, though - I’m used to it.” To an extent, it was true - whenever the uneasiness took hold, Jeremy’s belly was about as unnerved as his mindset.

“Man, I don't know how you keep up with things like this.” Rich leaned over, feeling around in the dark until he came across a couple of the rugae ridges. Then, turning himself towards it, he began to softly knead into the soft muscle until the discomfort began to fade. “How's that?”

Jeremy mumbled a little under his breath, feeling the movement getting more prominent. Something seemed to be massaging away the nausea - nice and targeted, as though someone was - oh. Flushing crimson with the realization of what it was, Jeremy snuggled up a little closer, leaning into them.

“That's… Really nice, actually. Like, really, really nice…” The tenseness in his own body began to slacken, placing his hands under his chin. “How did you know to do that?”

“Pretty easy to figure out, really. Should've known you were weak even on the inside,” Rich teased, receiving a small shove from the outside. “Alright, alright. But you're not doing badly - you know, especially for your first time.”

“Really?” This was certainly news to Jeremy, who'd figured he'd been doing something wrong the whole time. “Yeah, I guess you're right. I thought I'd be a lot more freaked.” The words came out in an attempt at humor, but he wasn't sure how well this got across. “It's still kind of weird, but… Nice.” Somehow, that seemed to be the only word that he could muster to describe it.

Focusing inward seemed to really do the trick, as Jeremy steadied his breathing. He wasn't sure how much of it Rich was able to feel or hear, but Jeremy figured it best to let that remain unknown. The notion that someone else was in synch with it all was fascinating - how every little beat and breath could be the main source of recognition. He tried to imagine it for a moment: the softness and warmth of being so close to someone, to the point that it became another world. Just a small space to recuperate and talk things through without a care in the world…

Jeremy suppressed a yawn, nuzzling a little bit against his pillow. He'd been about to close his eyes and drift off, before he felt the little nudge and reconsidered.

“Going to sleep, tall-ass?”

“Sorry, I-I-”

“So long as you don't toss and turn too much, I'm fine with that,” Rich replied, settling his hands on the walls. “If things keep up, I should be almost as good as new by morning.”

Jeremy balked. “Wait… You do want to stay in there for the night?” He wasn't frightened by this prospect, just surprised. “I mean, if you want to-”

“Do you want me to?”

It still felt so surreal having his former bully asking him what he wanted. But the more he thought about it, this had been the most settled he'd felt in a while - both internally and externally. He didn't want it to end anytime soon.

“Actually, yeah.” Jeremy rolled over onto his stomach, giving a little sign of contentment as he felt Rich readjusting his position. That harmless slosh of coffee, the happy gurgles and groans - besides the emotional aspects, it honestly felt good having Rich all snuggled up deep within. “It's… Kinda cozy, I guess.” Jeremy pushed his hands under his pillow, closing his eyes. “If that's fine with you, then… Goodnight, Rich. And thanks for talking me into this.”

“Goodnight, tall-ass,” Rich murmured back, giving the wall a reassuring rub. With Jeremy's new position, he felt a little squished, but comfortably so; the stomach fluids and undulating walls continued to work away at the coffee, and the lingering sting of his bruises as well. As Jeremy's breathing and heartbeat slowed, it seemed that so did the activity of his stomach, but kept it up enough to ensure that full body massage kept going. Snuggling down into the flesh, Rich stretched out and nuzzled into the soft walls himself. By the time that Jeremy fell asleep, Rich was right behind him, their breath syncing in their slumber.

Neither’s dreams were plagued by any visions of the technological menace, or helplessness or abuse from any source. It seemed that both troubled boys had settled down - and all it took was some unorthodox solace and a mug of coffee.


End file.
